Birthday Prompts

The Perfect Present

Prompt: Taylor mentions offhand during the first week or so after VSFS 2013 how much she loves her birthday and the Christmas season, Karlie is immediately hit with pressure and tries her very best to find the perfect gift for someone who can already buy herself whatever she wants. Taylor is impressed! 

I got three different versions of this same prompt so I just mashed them together into this, hope everyone enjoys!

--

The snow is falling outside the window and on the couch in her cozy West village apartment we find Karlie Kloss, but she's not alone. International super star Taylor Swift is lying on said couch, her feet casually resting on Karlie's lap in a way that feels oddly familiar already.

Karlie can't quite believe that this is her life now, a mere week ago the older woman was someone Karlie was constantly told by everyone from makeup artists to supposed mutual friends that she'd get along with; and she had to admit that they all had been right. In the week or so since Taylor's appearance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show the two had been almost inseparable and Karlie wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hey," Taylor suddenly says and despite her soft tone she almost manages to make Karlie jump. They have been sitting in comfortable silence for a while and from what Karlie has been able to tell Taylor has been completely engrossed in whatever is on her phone.

"Yes?" Karlie asks, almost teasingly, curious about what Taylor might be about to say, but also aware that the last time she spoke it was to announce that she needed to go pee.

"I just read that Downton Abbey season...I mean series four is premiering on Us TV on January 14th, that the best late birthday present ever!"

Karlie stifles an urge to laugh, "Downton Abbey, really? You're such a nerd!"

"Whatever, Miss DC Comics!" Taylor fires back with no hesitation and Karlie actually laughs now, "Whatever," She copies, "you read Marvel!"

"The far superior publishing house!"

"I'm not actually entering this discussion with you, Swift!"

"Too chicken, Kloss?"

Karlie laughs again and shakes her head, "Not doing it...You said birthday present? It's your birthday soon, December 13th, right?"

"That's creepy, Karlie." Taylor says and her expression is so deadpan that for half a second Karlie considers apologizing until Taylor bursts out laughing, "Someone did their homework on me!"

Blushing a tiny bit now the model smiles, "what can I say, the material is readily available and I'm a curious person!"

"That's sweet," Taylor says and retracts her legs only to properly sit up to press a small kiss to Karlie's still heating cheek.

"Oh look!" Taylor exclaims suddenly, as Karlie has learnt over the past week the blonde's attention span is occasionally akin to that of a Golden Retriever puppy, "it's snowing!" She jumps up and rushes to the window, practically pressing her nose to the glass. She turns back to the woman on the couch, her white, broad smile splitting her face in two, "I can't wait for Christmas!"

Karlie's only thought?

What the actual fresh hell am I supposed to get her for her birthday AND Christmas?

--

It's about two days later when Karlie has practically rushed around every store in Manhattan, still none the wiser as to what to get her new...friend. When her phone rings she's relived, an excuse to take a break from the stress that she usually only feels around four days before Christmas Day.

"Hey Kimby!" She breathes into the phone a lot more breathlessly than she'd planned. Turns out running around stores, not her thing. She already knew that, but turns out it's really not her thing when there's the added pressure of trying to impress someone with the perfect gift.

"What the heck, Mouse, you running a marathon or something?"

Karlie giggles despite herself, "not this time," she admits, "I'm trying to find someone a birthday and/or Christmas present and I have absolutely no-"

"It's Taylor Swift, isn't it?" The model's little sister interrupts and Karlie rolls her eyes.

"It's for Taylor, yes...I wish you guys would stop calling her-"

"It's her name!" The high schooler counters.

"Yes, Kimberly!"

"That's not the same..." The girl grumbles, making her sister laugh a little too hard.

"Do you like, realize how cool it is that you're dating Taylor Sw-"

"We're not dating," Karlie interrupts a little too quickly, "We're just...hanging out and I don't-"

"Karlie and Taylor sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-" Kimby singsongs, laughing hysterically all the while.

"Okay, dude, unless there's something you actually wanted I'm going to hang up now, you're incredibly unhelpful and I have to find something!"

--

It's two days until Taylor's birthday and once again the two are sat on Karlie's couch when the model finds herself taking a deep breath.

"So Taylor," she starts and the singer grins.

"Yes, Karlie?"

"I know I'm not going to be able to see you on your birthday, but I-I got you a little something and-and it's really no big deal if you hate it you can totally...I mean I don't want to-"

"Karlie," Taylor interrupts and there's something soft and fond and somehow incredibly calming in her gaze suddenly, "just go get the thing if you want, I already love it because it's from you and I...Well..." There's a few seconds of agonizing silence, "I really, really like spending time with you!"

Karlie beams as she gets up from the couch and walks over to the TV stand to reveal a package wrapped up in ribbon and soft sparkly paper, just the sight makes Taylor smile she notes and she's very proud of herself for a second.

"Is it fragile?" Taylor asks immediately as Karlie hands her the gift and the taller girl shakes her head, "not really." Taylor proceeds to shake the present at once and even puts her ear up to it. "It's heavier than I thought!" She notes and Karlie smiles in amusement, "just open it!"

"This is a process, Karlie!" Taylor exclaims, raising her eyebrows in horror at the callousness with which the younger girl is seemingly treating this moment. Truth is though that Karlie is too nervous to watch Taylor go about this any longer, but she's not about to tell her that.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt the delicate process-" She starts, but Taylor is already ripping the wrapping off like a kid on Christmas morning by that point.

A few seconds of silence pass between them as Taylor gets the gift unwrapped and then she gaps and it is as if the world stands still until she speaks.

"Karlie, I like, I genuinely want you to know that this is the best gift I've gotten in...Years!" At first Karlie thinks she's kidding, that this is some expression of dry humor again, but then she actually looks at Taylor who's borderline tearing up and looking at the necklace with the widest of smiles.

Delicately she lifts it from its box and hands it to Karlie, "Will you help put it on?"

"Of course!" Karlie says and gently moves Taylor's long hair out of the way to fasten the necklace properly. When Taylor turns around still beaming Karlie can't help but kiss her, Taylor might be thankful for the present, but Karlie is just as thankful that it appears she may have nailed this.

The necklace is a perfect replica of a small cat complete with fur details, it's real silver and it's cute but silly, or at least Karlie had thought so until she saw Taylor's face.

"How did you know I've been looking at this online for a while?"

"I don't know, lucky guess?"